Threetowners cycling thread

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Bruce
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Re: Threetowners cycling thread

Post by Bruce »

I was out this morning too. Glad I had looked out the winter boots and merino wool socks - it was freezing!

From saltcoats, along the high road to Ardrossan, then Seamill.

Through Seamill, turned towards Portencross, and on to the end of the road.

Turned back, and about half way to the main road went left along a farm track, towards Thirdpart and “Total Turfing”. Back to the main road, down the Hunterston Castle path, and ended up near Hunterston.

Continued on to Fairlie , turned left at the church and followed Pier Rd out to the end.

Back into Fairlie, along the main road for a bit then looped in and out of Kelburn. Along the main road for a bit, turned in at the Pencil, then along the prom to Largs.

Pit stop there, then along to the far end of Largs, turned in to Inverclyde sports centre, past the new school and back into Largs, then home by the main road.

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Bruce
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Re: Threetowners cycling thread

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Today’s trip, with photos.


Cold morning today - heavy frost and lots of ice - so didn’t leave til after 10, and stuck to the main roads. Even so, was a bit nervous - kept thinking of a similar trip a few years ago where I went through a puddle, didn’t realise it was ice underneath, and ended up getting B&B from the NHS...

But today’s trip was great. Plenty of layers, winter boots, merino socks.

From home, along the A78 coast road to Seamill, then Portencross. Stopped at the car park for a photo.

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View from Portencross, looking over the Firth of Clyde to Arran.

Back to the main road - didn’t risk the farm road today - there’s one section that’s fine when dry, but wouldn’t’ do it when wet or muddy. Along the A78 for a couple of miles, then down the bridleway towards Hunterston.

Past the power stations, and on to the end of the road. At this point I’m only about a mile from where I took the last photo. In the summer, I’d have taken the short cut path, but at this time of year it’d need a mtb.

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Again, spectacular views across to Arran.

Turned again back to the main road, Fairlie and Largs.

Take-away coffee and cake at the Green Shutters.

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Ten minutes drinking coffee, watching the ferry and generally watching the world go by, then back home along the A78.

53 cold, but very pleasant, km.

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brian f
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Re: Threetowners cycling thread

Post by brian f »

Some good photo's Bruce- Arran looks so close you could almost touch it.Don't know about the coffee my choice would be bovril brrr!
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Meg
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Re: Threetowners cycling thread

Post by Meg »

Great photos Bruce - cracking day today - frost didn’t melt on my front grass bbbbrrrrrrr😉
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Re: Threetowners cycling thread

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Double espresso and an empire biscuit. Cannae beat it....
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bonzo
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Re: Threetowners cycling thread

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Got out for a few hours this morning. Left Irvine about 8am so all lights fired up.
Along the Dubbs rd and through the 3 toons via the prom, the Braes and South Beach as far as the end of North Crescent Road where I turned back along the high road.
When I got back to Stevenston I turned up McGregor Avenue to Campbell Avenue and round the country road to Whitehirstpark. Kilwinning next, out by the cemetery and on to Auchenteber where I turned right back towards the Staincastle.
Here I stopped for a drink of water before continuing on to Dreghorn, Drybridge and Dundonald. From Dundonald down the hill to Auchengate,along Gailes rd round the Beach park, harbourside and hame. 41 miles.
Pretty much got rain all the way but typically by the time I got back to the hoose it was a lovely morning.
One thing I noticed this morning when I got to Ardrossan I got stopped at the level crossing as a boat train was leaving the harbour and I was thinking to myself that normally a train at the back of 8 two Saturday's before Christmas would be full of people from Arran going to Glasgow Christmas shopping, not a soul on the train.
Those wimin were in the nip.
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brian f
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Re: Threetowners cycling thread

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Give you credit bonzo, out in the dark and rain .You must have been full of porridge :lol: Well done!
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Re: Threetowners cycling thread

Post by Bruce »

Must admit, I got up yesterday, looked out the window, then went back to bed :-)
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bonzo
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Re: Threetowners cycling thread

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Don't mind the rain, you can't get any wetter than wet. It's when the wind comes into play I can't be bothered and Saturday was nice and calm.
Those wimin were in the nip.
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Re: Threetowners cycling thread

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First post of the year - and it’s been a slow start. I’m trying to convince myself that it's because of the weather, or lockdown, or something like that. But in reality its been lethargy and “can’t-be-botheredness..”. I did think about going out a few times earlier in the month, but walking out to the garage there was a bit of frost, and that was a good excuse to go back in the house!

They say that the hardest part of any winter bike ride is the first 10 yards!

But I got out last weekend - along the coast to Largs and back - and today I had a small package to collect at Screwfix in Irvine, so I biked through Kilwinning to Irvine then on towards Dreghorn, picked up the package, then home via Dreghorn, Perceton, Torranyard, Benslie and Kilwinning. A slow trip - there was still some ice around, especially out towards Torranyard.

Looking back at last year’s rides, it’s been a funny year. This time last year, I had great plans - had hoped to do a few organised rides - the Ayrshire cycle festival, the Round Str’aven, and a few other trips. Had planned a wee expedition down to Stranraer, and a trip involving a couple of ferries ending up at Oban.

Of course, none of that happened. Covid meant that my riding was mostly local. Largs and Troon/Prestwick were the usual destinations, occasionally Stewarton. Only “long trips” were one around Arran, and one to Largs/Greenock/Kilmacolm and home.

Distances were fine - I actually did more miles last year than ever before, 3505km (2178 miles), which is about 150 miles than my previous best. But all local.

The telling stat is my “Veloviewer score” - which is a measure of the new places I’ve gone. Veloviewer divides the map into a grid of “tiles”, each about a mile square, and counts how many different tiles you’ve ridden through. At the start of 2020, my Veloviewer score was 1138, which covered most of north Ayrshire, and large parts of South and east Ayrshire, renfrewshire etc.
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At the end of the year, it had risen to 1139! Increased by just 1 - so I really hadn’t gone anywhere new.
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George Ardrossan
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Re: Threetowners cycling thread

Post by George Ardrossan »

Well done, Bruce.

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brian f
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Re: Threetowners cycling thread

Post by brian f »

A wee bit off topic

I have noticed a lot more electric scooters on the streets nearby since :Voi: have let them scattered about for hire.Not been on a scooter since I was about 5 or 6. Any opinions
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